Should I move to the city I want to get a job in?

June 11, 2008 6:14 PM

Should I stay in my current job while I look for a position in a new town or move and search from there?

I am in a long distance relationship and we have decided that after nearly two years of driving two hours each weekend to visit each other its time to move in together.
I will be moving to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia (Harrisonburg) from Northern VA/ DC and am in the process of finding a job. The job hunt is taking much longer than expected(8 months so far)
Would moving to Harrisonburg make the job hunt easier or should I stay put in my well paying, secure position with my current company until I find something new? So far I've had 3 interviews in the area( declined consideration for one position and was not selected for the other two)
Issues that are affecting my descion:
1. Past interviewers were concerned that they cannot offer me a comparable salary to what I currently get. (I understand that the cost of living is less, and I will be making less money)
2. Past interviewers want to know why I would leave "the city" to come to Harrisonburg. (I went to college in Harrisonburg, am in a committed long term relationship, and have family in the area, but this doesn't seem to convince them)
3. Living in the city that I'm searching for a job in might make the interviewing process easier.
4. I'm not entirely comfortable with putting a financial burden on my boyfriend if the job search is more than a couple months.

posted by JennyJupiter to work & money (4 comments total)

I would recommend staying in your current job. Companies want employees that are wanted by other companies. If you're not working, you'll be less attractive to other companies. Also, moving is stressful enough. Who wants to add being unemployed to the mix?
posted by shesbookish at 7:10 PM on June 11

I think you can avoid a lot of the comparisons if you used a local address, either a PO box, or the regular address of someone you trust.
posted by advicepig at 7:13 PM on June 11

I've done this before and it was difficult, but not impossible. In my case I had graduated, moved back home (to my smalltown hometown) with my parents to look for a job (bad idea). I had a decent job in smalltown, yet was going insane living with my parents and hatched a plan to move to Toronto (about 3 hours drive away).

I would definitely try my best to have a job in place before moving. Even if it's not at your desired level of income, or exactly what you want to do, at least you'll have something.

Have a goal date of when you want and plan to be in the new town. In your cover letter, make it very clear that you will be living in Harrisonburg as of X. I would have a goal date of at least a couple months away -- that gives you time to job search like crazy and save up some money in case you decide to move with no job.

I had sent out dozens and dozens of applications with no response. It was only when I cranked my job searching into high gear : i.e. spending the whole weekend doing nothing but applying for jobs in Toronto, and focusing on the sheer quantity of applications I got out.

It also helps if you have an address at the desired location you can use on your resume or as an additional contact. In this case, your boyfriend.

This is the last thing you want to hear, but I don't think moving directly into your boyfriend's place after a long distance relationship is a very good idea. You'll be too needy, and you just don't know each other well enough. Why not get an apartment close by, and date like normal non-long-distance couples do?

I've been there, done that with the long-distance relationship too. It sucks. Even if it's only for a couple months, I think you'll be glad that you didn't move right in together after being long distance. But that's just my two cents.

Anyways, good luck and don't give up hope with the job search -- it's easy to get discouraged. Spend a couple days doing a hardcore job application spree -- that's what worked for me. Think quantity (without sacrificing quality). Hope that made sense. You'll be fine! Good luck with your move!
posted by Flying Squirrel at 7:52 PM on June 11

I would not change my whole life and move in with someone whom I didn't feel comfortable counting on in a time of financial strain.
posted by allthingsbright at 8:10 PM on June 11 [1 favorite]